Tommy Gun
by LaughLikeTheJoker
Summary: "I knew it was impossible, but I had dreamed of a happy ending. However as expected it turned out our story was a tragedy."
1. Chapter 1

"Edie, Edie we have to go now!"

Roughly shaken from her slumber she sat up bleary eyed, only to be all but dragged out of her bed by her brother Vernon. As her sleepy stupor started to dissipate, she realised it was late into the night, and the panicked darting of her brother's eyes in the darkness proved to a young Edie that something was very wrong.

"What's going on Ver?" She was met with silence as he thrust a bundle of clothing into her arms and told her to get dressed. Still half asleep she barely protested, not even realising that they were an old shirt and trousers- boys clothes that had belonged to the youngest of her older brothers when he was her age. The fit was terrible on her petite and wiry flame, the sleeves far longer than the length of her arms and the trousers needing to be rolled up at the ankles in order for her brother to stuff her feet in a pair of clunky boots. They headed downstairs, where her 4 other brothers and Father were congregated, guns in hand.

"Father?" Her voice questioned as she looked at the bearded man with wide eyes, though she wasn't really sure what it was she was asking.

His old green eyes were glassy and she found her own eyes tearing up as she realised for some apparent reason he was crying.

"You need to go with Vernon, Edie."

"Why I don't understand, what's the matter?"

He shrunk to her height to hold her tight, as Vernon's eyes followed his brothers' to glance out of the window.

There were figures approaching in the darkness.

They needed to hurry.

"I need you to do something for me Edie, okay can you do this?"

She nodded with a passion, though what she was agreeing to she did not know.

"I want you to be brave. Be strong and be brave."

"I.." She started to say, her inquisitive mind racing with so many confused thoughts, she couldn't even form one question.

"Father." Vernon spoke, and he nodded, kissing the top of Edie's head before tucking her lovely brunette locks into a cap.

"I love you, don't forget that. Now go with your brother."

Edie wasn't even given the chance to say an I love you back, as she was whisked away, with Vernon promising to find 'them' whoever 'they' where.

She struggled to keep up with her brothers run as they left the house through the back exit; her boots were atleast two sizes too big and it was raining hard, causing the cobbled streets to become slippy.

They were barely a short distance away from their home when a series of yells and a gunshot followed by several more were heard.

For a fraction of a moment Vernon, who was clutching her hand tightly, staggered.

Then his grip tightened and he set off in a run faster than before, when Edie was sure she heard the sound of footsteps splashing through puddles behind them.

A hand reached out from an intersecting alleyway, gripping the bag of her shirt and she wailed as she was torn away from her brother.

A gunshot ran out and she heard Vernon grunt, wriggling in the arms of her captor, kicking and screaming before using the only weapon she could think of next-her teeth, to bite down and draw blood.

She was released with a few angry curses, and Vernon aimed quickly, shooting at the man that had previously had her in his hold.

"Come on Edie, we're almost there."

Vernon breathed out, wrapping an arm around Edie's narrow shoulders and pushing her forward.

She was running again. Running through darkness, and rain and gunfire.

And then she fell.

Her palms scuffed the dirt, and the cap that was on her head toppled into a puddle with splash.

Vernon hurried to pick her up from the floor, but as soon as he did there was more gunfire, and then as she let out a horrified scream he crumpled infront of her- a bullet had shot right through him.

"Vernon!" She screeched, dropping to his side and pulling his arm to try get him to stand.

His mouth opened as he made to speak, only for a gargling cough and a splutter of a dark liquid to drip down his chin.

"Run."

He mouthed, but she shook her head refusing to leave his side.

The men pursuing them soon rounded up on her, some in uniform some in not, and as Vernon urgently tried to tell her to run she was grabbed and forced to her feet as the men inspected her.

"You're Chester Leadley's daughter aren't you?"

The one restraining her flailing limbs asked, looking over her boyish attire and laughing because her long hair and feminine face were an obvious answer.

Her eyes squeezed shut as a gun was fired, once then twice, then again and again, and the men around her dropped like flies as a dark figure emerged in the alleyway.

"How bad is it?"

Her eyes opened at the familiar voice, it was a voice she'd heard her father and brother talk business with many times before.

Vernon, let out a rasp of a breath, from his collapsed position on the cold wet floor.

"Edie..."

She scrambled over to her brother, brushing his damp curls from his forehead as his stuttering breaths slowed to a stop.

"Vernon!"

"Come on," The voice belonging to the dark figure ordered, but she couldn't bring herself to leave her injured brother.

She shook her head and like he was picking up a puppy, the dark figure grabbed her shirt by the scruff of her neck and pulled her to her feet.

"Come with me, now."

"But Vernon-" She protested only for him to huff.

"Is dead, and so is the rest of your family and so will you be if you don't follow me now, there was a lot of gunfire, the rest of them will follow the sound of it."

Edie debated for a moment whether to follow this man, tears streaming down her face and an aching lump in her chest as her eyes wouldn't leave Vernon's lifeless form.

They were all dead, her father, her brothers, would it really be so bad if she joined them?

"Listen 'ere kid, if your father wanted you to die along with them he wouldn't have gone through all this, he wouldn't have come to me, to see that you get out safe."

Edie sucked in a breath, rubbing her eyes and the man started walking, as if he knew she would follow.

They turned through a series of covert alleyways until they reached a house and a woman with dark curly hair opened the door and all but pulled Edie in.

The woman turned to the man that had brought Edie and exhaled a breath of relief.

"Thank god you're back Tommy."

The man barely muttered a response, heading straight for alcohol and a cigarette.

"She can stay in Aida's room tonight, we'll take her to Agnes when things calm down."

"Things won't be calm for a few days Pol." He said, and the older woman nodded, before turning her attention to the young girl.

Edie Leadley wasn't much older than Michael would be, though she had a babyface and small proportions that made her look so much younger.

"Poor child." Polly sighed, rubbing Edies shoulder as she watched the girl shiver from both the cold and fear.

"Let's get you sorted yeah?"

Edie was reluctant, but the woman had such a kind smile, one that reminded her of her mother. Her father had also trusted these people, so since they were the only thing she had left she nodded allowing Polly to take her arm.

She had been given a hot bath and clean, warm clothes, but it did very little to soothe Edie. Everytime she blinked she could still see her brother bleeding out and dying, and she could still hear the gunshots playing on a loop in her mind.

As Polly combed through her hair she explained to Edie, everything that was going to happen from now. Edie would be living with a new family, a woman named Agnes who had a son named Ernie who was two years older than her.

The woman then apologised because Edie had such lovely locks of hair and it was a neccessary evil (atleast for the time being), that it would need to be chopped. To avoid suspicion Edie would have to spend a short while in boys clothing as Eddy, and when it was safe she would be reintroduced as a sickly daughter of Agnes' who would eventually recover their health.

* * *

 _ **4 years Later**_

"Edie don't you fucking dare!"

Ernie, sent a look to Edie that was both desperate and at the same time came with a warning, as she held the manuscript over the fire.

She looked at him with an impish grin, raising an eyebrow and edging the manuscript closer to the glowing embers.

"Why shouldn't I? I wrote this third rate filth for you, and it's absolutely dreadful, so if I wish to burn it I absolutely can."

"You absolutely cannot."

Ernie stated exasperatedly, lunging to grab the papers that were starting to curl at the edges due to the heat.

Edie let out a childish giggle darting off and behind the desk, kicking a chair infront of Ernie to obstruct his path as he set chase.

"I have a deadline Edie, a very important deadline that I cannot miss."

"Well, you should have thought of that before getting drunk with John and the lads and cutting your hand on a glass."

She stuck out her tongue before proceeding to tear the papers into pieces.

The look of horror on Ernie's face contorted quickly into rage.

"I'm going to fucking kill you!" He said, and she shrieked, climbing over the desk and darting towards the door to escape.

The door swung open as she headed towards it, skidding to a stop upon realising who the figure stood by it's entrance was.

Thomas Shelby.

"Tommy" She greeted him, head lowered out of embarrassment because she had been this close to colliding with him.

The leader of the Peaky Blinders looked between the two with an eyebroow raised.

"It appears i'm interrupting something." He said, aiming his words towards Edie, who squirmed at his attention.

"no no," She protested, shaking her head and readjusting her cap, stuffing the loose tendrils of hair under it before recovering and putting on a firm front.

"Just sibling squabble."

She explained and Tommy nodded with an 'ah', as if it all made sense now.

As Tommy lit himself a cigarette, he invited himself into the premises, heading into Ernie's study.

"We have business to discuss."

The two siblings followed behind, finding Tommy examining a torn shred of manuscript with the slightest of smirks.

"Bad review?"

"His stories are a load of crap, the same contrived plots just with different characters."

"Women like them a lot."

Ernie retorted, earning a glare from Edie as he implied she wasn't woman enough.

Tommy agreed with the man.

"Yeah don't discuss your brothers books with Ada kid, she has a fancy for them."

Edie ignored them both and began to clear up the shredded manuscript.

"If little Edie thinks your stories are are a load of shit, perhaps a change of scenery might inspire you to improve. "

Edie and Ernie simultaneously turned their heads towards the blinder.

"What do you mean?"

"London."

Was all the Shelby said.

Edie's eyes lit up.

"We're going to London?"


	2. Chapter 2

**A/n: Thank you for the kind words! Hope you all enjoy this chapter as much as the previous!**

* * *

"Why?"

Was the next thing Edie had asked knowing there had to be some sort of catch, there always was with Tommy Shelby afterall.

"I've been thinking of an expansion," Tommy said through a drag of smoke, interrupted by Edie, who finished his sentence.

"In London."

"Yes in London."

Edie pursed her lip as she pieced together, how herself and Ernie fit into his plans.

She was always involved minimally, and so it was said was Ernie, due to the writer's fondness for booze and women and his stories. Apparently he was unreliable.

Edie knew her brother played a much greater role than he let on though, because if not why otherwise would the Peaky Blinders be so interested in a drunkard who wrote shoddy romance novels and silly stories for the paper?

"So you want to start putting some of your people down there, see what's what and who's who." She deducted, smirking at the look of annoyance on Tommy's face and continued.

"And none of the big bads would suspect anything from a lowly writer."

Ernie protested loudly, jumping up from the wall he was leaning against, looking ready to throttle his sister again.

"I am not a lowly writer!"

"Just a crappy one then."

She teased, sticking out her tongue before turning back to Tommy with a straightened face.

"I'm right aren't I? You want people who are good at being discreet down there to get information before you send the rest of your boys down."

Tommy refused to reply, instead focusing on the aggressive demise of his cigarette by squashing it harshly into an ash tray.

Ernie sent his sister a warning look that told her to stop poking around and prying, but she disregarded it, focusing on Tommy and opening her mouth again to speak.

But before she could the writer butted in.

"Since you destroyed my new story for the paper, why don't you get to rewriting it yeah? I really can't miss the deadline for the rotary press."

Edie scrunched up her face unwillingly.

"Hey, it's the least you can do after my mother took you in, clothed you and fed you for the past how many years."

She grumbled, unhappily sinking into the chair infront of Ernie's typewriter, setting it up with new paper.

"So petty, bringing up old things like that."

But she couldn't help but feel indebted and obliged to rewrite his short story because he was right, Agnes had done more than enough for her and she'd had little way to repay back such kindness.

"What would your female admirers think of you if they find out your stories are actually ghost written by a woman eh?" She teased, trying to get another rise out of Ernie because it was just too easy to piss him off.

Tommy cleared his throat, to let himself be known again, as if Edie had forgotten him-she hadn't, or rather didn't mean to.

Embarrassed she pulled down her cap and began to push the keys on the typewriter.

"Don't mind me, i'm just going to sit here and finish this."

Leaving her to type, Tommy and Ernie moved to the other side of the room to continue talking business, probably to do with Ernie's secret role in the Peaky Blinders organisation.

Edie, wasn't stupid, and it hadn't took her long to realise that the secrets were hidden in the short stories Ernie wrote for the paper, they were stories with some kind of hidden message that gave vital information to those who knew what to look for.

Edie had to admit, that it was something she was still working on trying to decipher.

* * *

Her fingers stilled, bringing the typewriter's writings to a stop, as she focused on Tommy Shelby showing her brother how to load up a gun.

She hopped up from the chair, and moved closer to observe, elbows resting on the tables and chin propped up by her hands.

Tommy slid a gun and rounds over to Ernie, but Edie was quick, darting out a hand to grab the weaponry.

She smiled, despite knowing the look Tommy would be giving her was not a pleasant one, nimble fingers working as she had previously watched, whilst Ernie kept his eyes on his pocket watch.

"20 seconds Tommy."

He said, eyebrows raised impressively when Edie placed the reloaded gun back down on the table with a beaming smile.

"Imagine what she'd be like when she aims and pulls a trigger. You could make a good sniper out of her i'm telling ya." He left the two, after a hardened glare from Tommy, heading into another room in the house. Edie turned to the Shelby with hopeful eyes.

He considered her for a moment, blue eyes looking into brown ones which didn't once waver.

His eyes left her and he said nothing, but the silence was more than words enough. He'd let her hold a gun just now, but he wasn't about to let her use one anytime soon.

"You know what this typewriter and this gun have in common Thomas Shelby?"

She asked him and he raised an eyebrow archly in question.

"What?"

"Their names. They say this gun when fired has the same sound as a typewriter, so its nickname is a Chicago typewriter."

She watched him for a response, but couldn't quite tell if he was impressed or not by her knowledge.

"And?" He asked, causing her to deflate a little.

She pouted childishly, though quickly resolved her features into one more blase and mature.

He was always calling her kid, more times than the amount of pages in all of Ernie's novels put together; and she was always trying her best to show it was a nickname unbecoming of her.

"And," She proceeded.

"I've mastered one kind of typewriter, isn't it about time I try my hand at another?"

Silence and stillness always indicated when Edie has said something disagreeable. More often than not it was involving her want to use weaponry.

 _"You don't need a weapon Edie."_ Is what he would say, _"The peaky blinders will protect you."_

But Edie had decided to herself that she no longer wanted their protection, she would not be a burden, she would protect herself and prove herself useful to them. Besides, it wasn't protection that was the main goal, she wanted to avenge her father, avenge her brothers and blow the brains out of the men that had shot them dead.

Eventually Tommy spoke, stepping close to her and staring her down, burrowing right through her eyes into her soul.

"You really think you can kill a man Edie?"

She wanted to say it couldn't be that hard, but bit her tongue knowing that such a response would be exactly what he would call naive.

From the way he was looking at her, Edie knew that he was well aware of her goal, and that the question inside of his question was really one asking if she could handle the consequences of killing.

Edie responded with a sharp nod.

"I know I could."

Tommy sighed as if she had said a wrong answer, smoke steadily clouding the room as he struck a light and puffed on the cigarette between his lips.

"Let it go would ya Edie."

Now she could help but get angry, hand striking the table in time with her foot as she stomped like a petulant child who had their toy taken away by their mother.

"Why should I?"

"Because the moment you pull the trigger on a bloody gun is a moment you cant escape from, and I made your father a promise that his business would be buried with him. That's why you're going to London."

Edie snorted in disagreement, arms folding over her chest as she shook her head.

"I thought we were going to London because you had business Tommy?"

"Ernie's going because I have business, and you're going because Ernie's going."

Her lips parted to retort, but she was silenced by a look from Tommy as he lit another cigarette.

"Do you remember what you said to Ada that time when she asked you what you'd do when you'd no longer 'ave to hide?"

Her brows furrowed as she wondered what he was getting at, but she sifted through her thought's until she recalled the specific day he had mentioned.

"I said I hadn't give it much thought."

Tommy nodded, urging her along.

"Then what?"

She paused for a moment to recollect, inhaling deeply before letting out a huff of breath,

"Then Ada told me to think about it and I said i'd go to parties, make friends, sing, dance, wear a pretty dress."

After saying it aloud, she absorbed all the information and realised that this was Tommy's roundabout way of letting her go, a tightness formed in her chest at the realisation, and though she had at first been eager and excited over London, she was now reluctant.

"That was a childish dream." She said quietly, because part of her wanted to admit that it was a dream a small fraction of her being clung to.

"You know what I really want." She said, this time firmer as she eyed the gun.

He shook his head.

"Revolving your life around revenge is no way to fucking live Edie."

Words Polly had told her when she had first found Edie, a sobbing mousy girl mourning the loss of her family, suddenly sprung to mind.

 _"Don't cry, there is no need to be sad because you are the only one that survived. You must live. Live because your father and your brothers would have wanted that."_

She looked up at Tommy, refusing to change her stance.

"I can't live, until the ones who killed my family are all dead."


	3. Chapter 3

Edie had not seen Tommy at all since then, not even when she was eventually leaving for London.

She had been in two minds to go down there, had hoped that Tommy would show up and say stay instead to her. When he hadn't she had thought about doing so instead, just to spite him, but then as she thought about the matter more she realised that London was an opportunity.

She had the opportunity to find the answers that Tommy had hid from her, and the opportunity to finish her business without Tommy being there to block her from doing so.

So after major thought, she had decided London it was, because she was going to prove to Tommy Shelby just how much he was underestimating her.

Before Edie and Ernie had left for London, they had received well wishes from one of the Shelby's, not the Shelby that Edie had been hoping for, but instead John Shelby.

She didn't mind John Shelby, he was probably her bestest friend not counting Ernie of course.

They had grown close over the years she had spent in the Shelby's circle, and he had been the first of those who didn't already know she was a woman, to find out the truth. It had been completely unintentional mind, she had been undressing in her room to change out of sodden clothing after being caught in the rain, and thinking it was Ernie's room he had stumbled in to catch sight of her cleavage.

The following day John Shelby wasn't sure what felt worse, the head splitting hangover he had or the ache in his jaw from the right hook given to him by Edie.

The first time John and Edie had met she had fought him then too.

It was the morning after Edie had been took into the Shelby house and been introduced as Eddie, an errand boy for the blinders.

"Don't look like a boy does he? More like a girl don't he?"

John had said, and Edie had sulked turning to Tommy who had looked at her expectantly.

It was a test, to see whether she could act the part well enough.

"I'm not a girl."

She retorted, trying to make her voice sound a little less high pitched.

"Even whines like one."

John continued with a laugh, only to let out a yell when Edie kicked his shin and punched him.

"Doesn't fucking fight like one though." The young Shelby had grumbled, but from then on they had been friends.

John leaves them with the promise to get pissed and party once he himself goes down to London with Tommy and Arthur.

* * *

London was very different to Birmingham.

Birmingham was noisy and full of ash and dirt and fire, and clouded by a dark and overwhelming shadow.

But London was bright and loud and full of a different kind of fire, the kind of fire from a phoenix that made it a place of rebirth and newness and brilliance.

Edie soaked in her surroundings as Ernie lead her to the street of their new house with wide eyes.

It was everything the child in her had ever dreamed of, buzzing music and chatter, beautiful women wearing dresses and shoes and jewels that were more beautiful than themselves, she laughed as she noticed Ernie was probably thinking something along the same lines, as his eyes followed a woman with cropped copper curls and an emerald coloured dress.

Edie laughed louder, when the woman turned to the pair after feeling eyes upon her, and batted her eyelashes, waggling her fingertips at not Ernie but a still disguised Edie.

"Don't worry brother, there has to be atleast one woman other than me that wont fall for your charms."

Ernie didn't seem all too impressed with her taunting, and he strode forward at a quicker pace, with clenched fists to distance himself from her.

When they reached the house they would be calling home, the first thing Edie thought was that it was rather large.

And grand.

And cold.

And empty.

The walls were white, and it was decorated with minimal furniture, lacking in a personal touch and resulting in something rather lifeless.

Maybe she was just picking it apart purposefully, because all these flaws were things that could be amended easily over time.

Perhaps, the one thing this place was lacking was actually the presence of a specific person, or perhaps there was nothing wrong with the house and actually just her.

Yes, that was it, she was the problem-she was missing Tommy.

Already.

She frowned and Ernie scoffed as he noticed her expression.

"If you don't like it then you could always go back to Birmingham."

Edie shook her head.

"It's fine. It's perfectly fine."

She muttered, as she followed Ernie through the house and into his study, her eyes setting on his typewriter.

He must have had it brought down earlier, along with the majority of their luggage.

There was a briefcase next to it which was moved out of Edie's vision quickly.

She had a feeling he wasn't hiding it because he was worried she'd threaten to burn another of his books.

"Your stuffs upstairs, in your room."

Ernie said, a polite way of telling her to get lost without making her suspicious.

"Your rooms first on the right."

He continued when she remained in his study, and she nodded finally taking the hint.

She'd figure out what he was up to another time.

Edie frowned at the boxes wrapped in ribbon that had been placed on her bed.

She definitely didn't recall them being amongst her personal belongings. As she moved to inspect them closely she noticed they came with a small card.

A card that held no message other than a **'To Edie, from Tommy'**

She didn't know what to expect when she opened the first box, and so she unlaced the ribbon with nimble fingers and gently pulled back the lid.

She saw lace and flowers and chiffon in a duck egg blue colour.

A dress. He had bought her a dress.

Edie reached out to touch the soft fabric then stopped herself, placing the lid back on the box and then leaving it.

Why had he bought her a dress?

Was it to remind her that she didn't have to be the peaky blinders errand boy anymore? Or was it an apology gift?

With Tommy it was always difficult to tell what his intentions were.

A ring of their doorbell, startled Edie out of her inner turmoil, and she descended the stairs to see Ernie welcoming in Ada Shelby, or Ada Thorne as she preferred to be known.

Ada scrutinised each room of the house she passed, tuttting as she spotted the large stock of liquor the two had.

"Not much stuff in this house yet is there, I see you brought only the most important stuff first eh?"

She said with a nod towards the whisky, and in an almost synchronous movement Edie and Ernie shrugged.

"Has a reputation to keep up doesn't 'e" Edie said in response, resulting in an offended Ernie snatching up a bottle and grumbling as he dissapeared into his study saying he had to write.

"So Ada? How can I help ya?"

She asked the woman, whose reason for turning up had yet to be explained. Ada who had suddenly ended up in Edie's bedroom scrunched her nose up hands planted on her hip as she raised an eyebrow archly.

"I think you are the one who needs help right, you're not planning on still dressing like that down here are ya? Don't you have any dresses?"

She spotted the slightest bit of duck egg blue fabric peeking out from one of the boxes.

Edie's eyes shifted uncomfortably as Ada pulled it out of the box, displaying the full garment.

"Not bad, my brother bought you this eh? It'll do but tomorrow we'll get you some better stuff, something more your style."

Edie wasn't really sure what Ada meant by that, as someone who hadn't worn a dress since she was 14 and as someone who had to adapt to the minsdet of a boy, she wasn't really one to have a preference of style or really much interest in fashion.

"Well go on then try it on, and i'll put some pretty graffiti on your face."

Ernie wondered what the hell the girls were up to when he heard a long string of colourful discourse being shared back and forth between the two. It was more violent that he'd heard from drunkards back at the garrison pub, and definitely not something he'd heard from the two girls before. He peeked his head out of his study when he heard a commotion on the stairs, and was shocked to see Edie in a dress.

He found himself leaving the room altogether to get a better look at her, placing his circular lensed glasses over the bridge of his nose.

Was she wearing makeup?

"Well what do you think Mr writer?"

Ada questioned him, gesturing towards her handiwork.

Embarrassed, Edie tried to turn away, but didn't trust herself in heels and on stairs, so instead she avoided his gaze as she clutched the banister tightly in an iron like grip.

If Ernie were to tell the truth, he would have said that she actually didn't look half bad, she made a rather pretty woman, but since she always had his life he wasn't going to admit it.

Narrowing his eyes he tilted his head as he inspected her.

"I see it is a lie when they say clothes are like wings. And of course the rule that you cant change someones looks no matter how hard you try, holds true."

He sighed pretending to be dissapointed. "How can there be no change after one puts on a set of wings."

"I told you Ada." Edie, said, also agreeing with Ernie's sentiments. She felt ridiculous in all this girly get up, so no doubt she looked it to.

"Oh don't mind 'im edie, you know he's only saying that because you're 'is sister, it's what brothers do."

Ada gave, Ernie a glare that made him relent.

"I mean, I guess you look alright, n the people of london are 80% alcohol anyways so i'm sure they'll think you're beautiful or whatever."

Edie didn't seemed convinced, and she moved to take the stupid heels off her feet.

"Put them back on right now!"

Ada scolded, as if she were her own daughter.

"And come down have a walk around, you need to get used to walking around in shoes like that from now on."

Ernie nodded agreeing with the Ada, because it was just to amusing seeing his sister subject to such torment.

"Yeah, since you're all dolled up why don't you come out with me and explore London's nightlife, we'll have a few drinks and celebrate your new life, how about it?"

* * *

The people of London seemed to thrive in the darkness, men and women walked the streets in the evenings, talking and smiling and laughing without care.

Edie wondered just how many of the people that she passed were watching or being watched by a rival gang, and she wondered how many of them wore a target on their back underneath their fancy clothing.

If she focused on someone for long enough, she could see the jewelled pins in a woman's hair were actually sharpened needles, weapons that she no doubt planned to use on an unsuspecting soul, and that the man with a gun peeking out the inside of his coat was also on his way to kill someone.

Before the war this wouldn't have been normal, but now, well now it still wasn't normal.

People just liked to pretend that it was.

Which was understandable. People pretending that it was normal just for the sake of blending in, or to avoid any unnecessary trouble so that they could keep their life.

It was the way business was ran these days.

As she watches another man walk past with his gun on show-it was always the men flaunting about their weaponry, waving around their tools pretending like they actually knew what to do with them- Edie wondered further why Thomas had been so opposed to giving her a weapon of her own. If London was rife with danger, surely he would have at least shown her how to shoot. She supposed it wasn't that important though, she just had to get her hands on a gun and figure it out herself.

Ernie pulled Edie along, leading her with a sense of direction that made Edie think he had been to London before, he seemed to know the place well, knew how it operated and how to weave through crowds of particular people and open doors with a whisper of the right words.

They ended up outside of a nightclub named the Eden club, and were given almost immediate entry, as Ernie showed a smile and uttered a name to the doormen, but she had been too focused on trying to walk in a straight line to hear.

Then they were inside, consumed by an array of gold and glitter and marble.

Edie could feel the music pounding through the walls and in her ears and her blood.

"What is this place?"

She asked, partly in awe because the people inisde these wall were unlike anything she'd ever seen, doing whatever they pleased and being whoever they wished.

Ernie grinned.

"Amazing isn't it? Now come on, you can play later."

She nodded, allowing him to navigate her past tables of people and dancers, over to a man dressed in a gold waistcoat and bowtie.

"Tell him, the Writer is here would ya?"

Ernie muttered to the man, who left with an abrupt nod.

Edie pulled Ernie to a stop, brows furrowed as she realised something was going on, he hadn't just brought her out because he wanted to have fun, he had business to do too.

"Tell me what is going on right now."

She hissed, spitting venom as she leaned in closer to him.

"Don't worry, i'm doing this for you alright, you want to find out who killed your family yeah? Well i'll help you if you help me."

They slipped into a private booth and moments later, they were joined by a man with a mustache.

"Sabini" Ernie greeted the man with a firm handshake.

The Italian gangster nodded before turning his attention to Edie.

"And who is this?"

Ernie nudged Edie slightly to prompt her.

Straightening up she offered a timid smile and gloved hand.

"It's a pleasure to meet you Mr Sabini, I'm Ernie's sister," She paused momentarily, realising she could become anything she wanted.

"But please, call be Joy."


End file.
